Over the past few years, many businesses, both small and big, were subjected to data breaches, which compromised the privacy of their customers as well as their own. So, if you think that your small business may not have any information that a cyber hacker might find interesting, think again. Cybercriminals do their deeds simply because they can, and once they get wind of the valuable information you have, they’ll try to exploit the weak points in your company’s databases to gain access to them. If you want to know how to protect your business from cyberattacks, here are some expert tips to help you out.
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Limit Access to User Information
The first step to take to protect your data online is limiting access to valuable user data. Doing this will reduce human error and will make your data less prone to cyberattacks. If an employee leaves the company or transfers to a different location, make sure that you take preemptive measures at once, like deleting and changing passwords, deleting accounts from all systems, collecting the company and ID badges, entry keys, etc. to prevent the said employee from gaining access once more. Not doing this can create a backdoor for hackers to delve through to your business’s valuable information. You should also limit access to important data only to certain personnel; the fewer people know how to access this information, the safer it actually is.
Layer Up Your Defenses
Many business owners believe that once they’ve got an antivirus or a firewall that they’re all set up and protected, but the truth is humans and software alike can make mistakes. That’s why it is imperative that you create multiple layers of protection to safeguard your data. The point here is to leave nothing to chance, so you’ll need a combination of software, hardware, and other protective procedures to fend off malicious parties from breaching your databases. Layered digital security is one of the best ways with which you can protect your company from cyberattacks, as they will pose more challenges for hackers as opposed to a single layer of protection.
HIPAA Training
Another way that will help you protect your business, which is also ordained by the law, is HIPAA training. Your database contains sensitive information regarding your clients, customers, patients, as well as your employees. You’ll find that HIPAA Exams security awareness training has been prioritized in the past few years due to the alarmingly increasing number of cyberattacks and the large number of human errors that frequently occur without inadequate training. You’ll need to provide your employees with an excellent HIPAA training program that will make them more aware of the cyber threats looming over companies and medical facilities these days. A good HIPAA training program should also teach them to avoid making any mistakes that can threaten personal information belonging to clients and employees.
Software and Hardware Firewalls
Cyber hackers can easily trick anyone online into clicking or downloading malicious content that can threaten the whole system of any company. That’s why you’ll need to invest in powerful software and hardware firewalls to prevent them from doing so. Make sure that you install and update your firewall system on each and every computer, smartphone, or network that has access to your company’s system or database. You should also include off-site employees when doing this step, even if you’re using a virtual private network (VPN) or a cloud service provider (CSP) to guarantee ultimate protection. An intrusion detection/prevention system (IDPs) can also be a helpful means of protection. After all, creating more layers of protection is what you should aim at.
Web and Email Filters
Spamming employees’ emails is another popular method with which hackers can gain access to their computers. Luckily, you can prevent this from happening with “blacklist” services. Once you download one of those services, you’ll be able to prevent your employees from browsing suspicious websites that pose malware risk to your company. You should also advise your employees against browsing websites associated with cybersecurity threats like fake social media or pornographic websites. Although this step might sound like a no-brainer, you’d be surprised by how many of your employees can often neglect to do this. With proper training, your employees won’t even think about browsing suspicious websites.
It might seem unfair that hackers can get into your company’s system by just exploiting one small loophole despite your array of digital protection tools, but this is exactly why you should protect your business by all means possible. As technology progresses, cybersecurity can, unfortunately, be harder to maintain. However, with proper software and hardware firewalls, employee training, and awareness in regard to cybersecurity, you won’t have to worry about your sensitive data being vulnerable to cyberattacks. Should you find yourself unable to instill cybersecurity in your company, you can always hire a cybersecurity service to do the heavy lifting for you.
